Towards a surprise at Matignon? This Monday, September 2, a new name seems to have gained weight for the post of Prime Minister: the head of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), Thierry Beaudet. While the President of the Republic received during the day Bernard Cazeneuve and Xavier Bertrand, two pure politicians seasoned in parliamentary jousts to try to achieve consensus in this fractured National Assembly, Emmanuel Macron could therefore choose a more “technical” profile, unknown to the general public, to form a government. In any case, this is what is stated The Opinionwho assures that the head of state would have contacted Thierry Beaudet this Thursday, and that the latter gave him his agreement. AFP and The Figaro confirm that his name is seriously circulating to replace Gabriel Attal.
Aged 62, a teacher by training, Thierry Beaudet became president of the Mutuelle générale de l’Education nationale (MGEN) from 2009 to 2017, the largest mutual in the public service, before taking the head of the Fédération nationale de la mutualité française. A position he will hold from 2016 to 2021, from which date he will take over the management of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council.
The Cese, the third Assembly mentioned in the Constitution, defines itself as the “link between public authorities and civil society”, whether NGOs, social partners and citizens, through reports or notes to Parliament and the executive. It is notably within the Cese that the Citizens’ Convention on the end of life was organized between December 2022 and May 2023, two years after the one on the climate.
“Someone consensual”
From these experiences, Thierry Beaudet seems to emerge the image of someone close to the social partners, capable of conducting negotiations successfully. A quality that is not insignificant in view of the current political situation. François Hommeril, president of the CFE-CGC, assures AFP that he is “no more ridiculous than the other” personalities who have been mentioned to lead the government. “It could be a nice surprise”, the union leader wants to believe. “He has no political experience”, but in the current “complicated” context, “is that a plus? Is that a minus?”, wonders his counterpart from the CFTC Cyril Chabanier, who has “not many doubts about his attachment to social dialogue”. Laurent Escure (Unsa), who “knows” Thierry Beaudet well, praises “his taste for synthesis and the general interest”.
Another element could support the former mutualist: that of a man rather anchored on the left, known to be close to the former boss of the CFDT Laurent Berger, but also to the macronist Richard Ferrand or the former socialist Benoît Hamon – according to The World. François Asselin, president of the CPME employers’ union, describes to AFP “someone consensual”, rather coming from “a centre-left culture”. But, he notes, if he reaches Matignon, he will have to “handle the art of dissent and perhaps less of consensus, because we are in a situation where we will have to decide”.
The choice of Thierry Beaudet would in any case seem to be part of Emmanuel Macron’s desire to build consensus from the right to part of the left. Even if in the National Assembly, “it will be a different kettle of fish” than at the Cese, also notes Thierry Cadart (CFDT), member of the institution’s bureau, adding that if the former mutualist “knows how to build consensus”, “some could criticize him for taking a little too much time to decide”.
Very critical of the dissolution
But even if the head of the Cese has never really spoken out about his political opinions, he has nevertheless distinguished himself by taking a few rare positions on the eve of the early legislative elections last June. In an interview with The Tribunehe had revealed himself to be critical of the dissolution of the National Assembly by Emmanuel Macron. “This double decision plunges France into an unprecedented political and democratic crisis. In three weeks, no political party can listen to the suffering and aspirations of citizens, deduce a solid project from it, confront it with those of its rivals, pour it into the public debate, compose a list of 577 serious and prepared candidates,” he had attacked.
Thierry Beaudet also spoke out firmly against the National Rally. “The far right is on the verge of power. Historically, it has fought parliamentary democracy, maintained racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, hatred of others, hunted down countervailing powers, fundamental rights and the rule of law,” he scathingly said, still in The Tribunerefusing to “send back to back for a moment” the RN and the New Popular Front. On the political level, he had also adopted clear positions in favor of euthanasia or against the immigration law – going so far as to demonstrate on January 21 at the Trocadéro.
According to Le Monde, Beaudet has already found his chief of staff, on the recommendations of the Élysée: Bertrand Gaume, current prefect of the Nord and Hauts-de-France, who had already held this position in Essonne before being poached by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. A certified servant of the State, Gaume is well acquainted with the socialist networks. He is also close to the former socialist presidential candidate Benoît Hamon in the city, for whom he was chief of staff at the Ministry of Social and Solidarity Economy in 2012. He also worked in the office of Najat Vallaud Belkacem at the Ministry of National Education. When Aurélien Rousseau left Elisabeth Borne’s office, he was expected to replace him. A duo from the left, like several that Macronie has seen come and go since 2017.